The Art Of Kissing
by Mrs. Witter
Summary: When Rory helps Tristan out of a jam, he offers to teach her a very important life lesson. Set in Season One, way back when.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **The characters belong to ASP and the WB.  
**Pairing: **Rory/Tristan, Rory/Dean  
**Rating: **PG-13 for now  
**Spoilers: **This is set in Season 1, up until the episode entitled _Kiss and Tell_. After Rory's first kiss, it's pretty much AU with the parts of the show I feel fit into my own, deluded version.

**The Art of Kissing**

**Prologue**

_And then he kissed me…_  
- The Crystals

She got kissed. Rory Gilmore had received her first kiss at Doose's standing in Aisle Number Three. Tall, floppy-haired, gorgeous Dean Forester leaned down and kissed her, right on the lips.

Of course, after that, she ran away stammering a very polite and stunned 'thank you'.

_Thank you?_ Rory berated herself from the millionth time after the fateful kiss as she stalked down the quiet halls of Chilton the next day on her way to class from the Headmaster's office. _Your dream guy kisses you and you say thank you? God, I am such a spaz. He'll probably never want to kiss me again. _

Sighing, Rory picked up the pace as she headed for class. The bell had rung two minutes ago but she wasn't worried, she had a pass from Headmaster's secretary who had messily signed the piece of paper and trusted Rory to fill in the rest.

Just as she rounded the corner, she caught sight of a scenario that had become a staple of her Chilton life: Tristan DuGrey with a pretty blond pressed up against a locker, playing an interesting game of tonsil hockey. Rolling her eyes, Rory hoped they wouldn't notice her as she passed by. Of course, she couldn't help but stare as she approached the unaware couple. _Speaking of kissing…God, look at them go. How the hell do they breathe? He's, like, eating her face. Does she even like that? I am sure that it's very unsanitary._

With a disgusted look on her face, Rory passed the couple but unfortunately, not fast enough as Tristan's lips broke away from his partner's and his head lifted. He spotted her immediately and didn't even have the decency to blush or be embarrassed as their eyes met. Instead, he smirked at her and remained pressed against the blond who was trying to get his attention back to her.

Much to Rory's chagrin, Tristan didn't return to his earlier activities but rather, called out to her. "Hey Gilmore, wait up."

In spite of herself, Rory's legs stopped and she turned to face him fully as he disentangled himself from the blonde, telling her he'd meet up with her later. As the put-out blonde wandered away, hopefully to her own class, Tristan approached Rory with a wide grin. She shook her head. "Don't you think you were a little rude?"

He furrowed his brow. "To Kelly? No."

Rory let out another sigh as she continued to English with Mr. Medina. "God, never mind. You know you're late right?"

Tristan pocketed his hands and shrugged. "So are you."

She waved the piece of paper in her hand. "I have a pass."

He grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Then jot down my name down too and I won't get in trouble either."

"No! It's wrong!" she declared vehemently as she wrenched her arm free. "I had an excuse for being late and Ms. O'Donnell gave it to me because the reason for my tardiness is justified. You, on the other hand, have no such justification, pal."

"Come on Gilmore," he begged as she followed her. "I've been late to Medina's class one time already and he has a stupid two time limit. He'll give me detention. Help a fellow classmate out, Mary. Have a heart."

"No," she said, harassed. Didn't this guy know when to take a hint? "You do the crime. Although I am sure you can weasel your way out of detention. What's the big deal? I'm sure this won't be your first."

"Exactly, it's not my first." He stopped her again, this time blocking her path and glanced desperately at the door to their English class, a few feet away. "If I get another detention my father will find out and it won't be pretty. Tell you what, you do this for me and I'll owe you."

Rory scoffed. "Like your word means anything."

"I'm serious," he emphasized. "I'm a good person to have on your side, Gilmore, here at Chilton. Stick with me and you'll be fine. It's a win-win situation. And you're a smart girl. Think about it for a second. Anything you want, it's yours."

She worried her bottom lip as she stared at his beseeching face. He didn't look the least bit trustworthy with that messy hair and perpetual gleam in those blue eyes. Even _she_ could see that. But, damn it, he was right. He was popular at Chilton, a place she didn't fit in and she had already managed to tick people off. She could hit him up for any favor and all she had to do was write his name down on a piece of paper in return. Nothing bad could happen, really.

"Fine," she stated finally and glared when he smirked triumphantly. She was about to reach in her back pocket for a pen when he offered the one tucked behind his ear. "No, it has to be the same ink."

He shook his head and teased. "Stickler."

"Shut up, Tristan," she shot back as she used the wall to neatly print his name beside hers. "I hope to God this doesn't get me in trouble as well."

Companionably, he slung an arm around her shoulder and strolled towards class. "Gilmore, you're paranoid. Nothing bad can possibly happen."

_Famous last words_.

- & -

Of course, Mr. Medina didn't say anything as Rory handed him the excuse slip. He merely looked at her and then at Tristan before telling them to take their seats. Rory breathed a sigh of relief and ignored Tristan's wink as he sat down and turned her attention to _Romeo and Juliet_.

On this particular day, Mr. Medina was discussing Act 1, scene 5 in the classic play: the Capulet's ball. As Max animatedly read the famous lover's first meeting, and their rather wordy diatribe about kissing, Rory's mind wandered back to her first kiss with Dean. She replayed the scene in her mind; the kiss, the feeling of his lips on hers, the utter shock to her system as her mind processed what was happening and then of course, the knee-jerk reaction to run away as fast as she could.

The kiss, as she had told Lane, was perfect. Dean had been perfect and sweet and she was sure that as far as first kisses went, theirs was definitely up there with the best of them. It wasn't the most passionate one, she was sure. After all, she just stood there while Dean did the work.

She sat up straighter in her seat, suddenly, as an awful thought popped into her head. Dean had kissed her and she had done _nothing_. She hadn't kissed him back but had run instead. And she realized, if he ever did kiss her again, she had no idea what to do. _She_ had never kissed a guy before! Kissing was never a reality for her until now. She had been too busy with Harvard and school and books.

_Books! _There had to be books on the subject. Or a website. Information was the key; there was nothing she couldn't read up on, learn about. After all, how hard could it be? All she had to do was research and she'd be fine.

Kissing was no big deal if you knew exactly what you were doing.

Involuntarily, her head turned to Tristan who was looking at her oddly but smirked when she met his gaze. Now here was a guy who knew a lot about kissing. He did it with confidence, ease and a certain amount of, she had to admit, flair. Locker Girl wasn't complaining and seemed to be enjoying herself as well.

She turned away and focused on _Romeo and Juliet_ until the end of class. When the bell rang, Rory collected her books and tried to push back her kissing fears. Once outside the classroom, she ran into Tristan who was waiting near the door.

"You were distracted," he said by way of greeting.

"What?" she asked defensively, hugging her notebook to her chest.

"In class," he clarified as they started walking down the hallway, towards the cafeteria, together. "You were a thousand miles away. Thinking of me again?"

Without thinking, she answered truthfully. "Yes."

He was probably expecting an intense denial because his mouth dropped open slightly and he managed a surprised, "Really?"

"Well sort of," she answered with a wince and then colored a bit as she clarified, "I was thinking about you kissing that girl."

"Ah." He chuckled as they reached the cafeteria with other students milling about. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "So you like watching. I would never have figured you for that kind of girl, Mary."

"Why does your mind immediately go the gutter?" she asked, exasperated. "Or is that just where it happens to be, all the time?"

"Hey, you're the one preoccupied with images of me kissing another girl," he replied with a grin. They stepped in line for food and he handed her an empty tray. "Let's step off the pedestal there, Gilmore. So tell me, in this fantasy, do you eventually join in because that would really work well with _my_ fantasy."

"God no," she replied a little loudly, causing some people to turn their attention to them. Blushing she lowered her voice and glared at Tristan. "I was just thinking about kissing in general and you were the last person I saw making out. _Jeez_."

He put his hands up in a sign of surrender and they moved down the line quietly, with their food and drinks. At the register, he paid for her and silenced her protest with one look. "Believe me, I have the money."

As they carried their trays to a table, she rolled her eyes. "And an ego to go with it. Tell me, how do you fit through the doorways?"

He ignored her and found an empty table. As they sat down, she realized that they were alone and a bunch of people were staring at him from across the room. Paris Gellar shot her a death look from her table. Rory had been so engrossed in her "conversation" with Tristan that she hadn't even processed that she had accepted they were eating lunch together and were, for all intents and purposes, being friends.

"Are you going to stare at your food or actually eat it?" Tristan asked as he popped open a can of soda.

"I think your groupies are missing their leader," she returned easily, hitching her head in the general direction of his friends. "Slumming it, are you, DuGrey?"

He dismissed her remarks with a wave of his hand. "C'mon. Tell me why you were thinking about kissing. And what it has to do with me. I am intrigued."

She sighed and debated a full moment before revealing the reason for her preoccupation. "Dean kissed me yesterday."

His brows shot up and his grip tightened on his can. "Who's Dean?"

"A guy at my old high school," she replied, blushing a little. "He moved here from Chicago just as I transferred to Chilton."

"How tragic," Tristan replied sarcastically before furiously biting into his hamburger.

"Anyway," she continued and gave him an odd look, "he kissed me and I ran away."

"That bad, huh?"

"No," she defended indignantly. "It was great. I just didn't know what to do."

Tristan looked at her surprised. "Wait a minute. That was your first kiss." She avoided his gaze and shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "Wow."

"Hey!" she stated offended. "We're not all whores, Tristan."

He laughed and took another sip of his soda. "I still don't know what it has to do with me kissing Kelly."

Rory fidgeted with the bag of chips in her tray. "Well, he kissed me. I didn't kiss back. And I don't know how to…you know. Or if I will ever be able to…kiss back properly. And you seemed to be doing it just fine."

"Why thank you."

"So it can't be that hard to learn."

He smirked. "Not with the right partner, no."

God, his arrogance. Annoyed, she took a dainty bite out of her sandwich. "If you're so good, why don't you teach me how?"

He considered it for a moment, then leaned forward and grinned. "Sure."

Shocked, her eyes widened. She wasn't sure she had heard correctly. Had she really, in a moment of insanity, asked Tristan DuGrey to teach her how to kiss? And had he actually agreed? It was like a weird out-of-body experience. "What? No, I was just kidding. _No._ You can't teach me."

"Why not? You said so yourself that I'm good at it. And, this could be the favor I owe you," he replied seriously. "You know you have to learn from the best."

"You're serious?" she asked, disbelievingly.

"As a heart attack," he answered and dipped a French fry into the ketchup.

"You're out of your mind," Rory returned, shaking her head. It was insane; there was no way that she was going to let Tristan teach her how to kiss…the idea was just absurd. Kissing Tristan DuGrey…never! _Although_, a voice reminded her quietly, _you don't really have to kiss him. It can be more of a hands-off approach. He can just give you a few pointers and you can have the added benefit of a male's perspective. _Still, the sane part of her rejected the idea. "No. I'll ask for another favor, thanks."

Tristan smirked. "You're scared."

She let out a strangled laugh. "What? No I am not!"

"Then prove it," he challenged, leaning back in his chair. "Let me teach you. After school lets out, we'll begin our lesson. I'll teach you how to kiss the socks off Bean."

"_Dean._"

"Whatever," he replied with another triumphant grin and dismissive wave. "Meet me at my car, Gilmore. Don't be late."


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **The characters belong to ASP and the WB.

**Pairing: **Rory/Tristan, Rory/Dean

**Rating: **PG-13 for now

**Spoilers: **This is set in Season 1, up until the episode entitled _Kiss and Tell_. After Rory's first kiss, it's pretty much AU with the parts of the show I feel fit into my own, deluded version.

**Author's Note:** I realize that it's been awhile. Life has been busy. I got married and moved, just so that everyone knows. I plan on working on my WIPs and even finishing _Whatever Tomorrow Brings_ and _You Got Away_. Please be patient.

**Chapter One**

She looked like a terrified squirrel, Tristan observed as he leaned against his BMW and watched Rory Gilmore approach him cautiously, trepidation written clearly over her face. She adjusted her backpack as she came closer and shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand and avoided looking straight at him. Normally he rejoiced when he made others – especially girls – uncomfortable, but seeing her so damned nervous did not sit well with him.

He didn't bite, for Christ's sake. The corner of his mouth twitched as he amended that thought: well, only if they asked.

Rory came to stand in front of him, looking bemused. She stared at him for a minute and he could see her visibly shake off her nerves. Eyes narrowing, she said, "What are you grinning about?"

Tristan smiled, shook his head and straightened. "Never mind. You came, Gilmore. That took guts – I'm impressed. I'm sure this can be very intimidating."

"Intimidating? How?"

"Well, you're learning from a master," he continued, cockily. "Anyone would be."

"You are so full of crap, DuGrey," she returned derisively. "I must be completely insane to even consider this. Forget it, I'm just going to walk away and pretend this whole surreal experience never happened. Have a nice life."

As she turned to go, Tristan quickly came around to stop her. "Hey, come on, I owe you!"

"Buy me a car and we'll call it even," she retorted as she tried to make her way around him. He just kept blocking her path. "Tristan, seriously, how old are you? Let me go."

Unmoving, Tristan pocketed his hands in his trousers and looked at her levelly. "Why are running away?" Knowing how obnoxious he was being, he smiled broadly for affect and leaned in as if to whisper conspiratorially. "Do I make you nervous, Rory?"

Her eyes narrowed and her chin jutted out. "No, just disgusted. Actually, Tristan, you don't affect me all that much."

Not in the least offended, he laughed and grabbed her elbow, turning her around and towards his car. He tried to be gentle so that she'd be a little more comfortable. "Well then I don't see why this should bother you so much. I'm just teaching you how to excel. You came here to excel, didn't you, Gilmore? And I think there would be a big gaping hole in your education if you didn't perfect one of the most intimate aspects of human communication."

She chewed her bottom lip, nervously, in thought. _Yes_, he thought with triumph. _Give in, Rory. Forget that it's total crap and just give in._ She shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts and looked up at him, a determined gleam in her eyes. "I have rules. Very strict, sturdy, no-finding-loopholes-and-ways-around-them rules."

Knowing he'd already won, he shrugged, ready to give in to whatever demands. After all, he liked his women forceful. "Naturally."

"The first and foremost goes without saying. You keep quiet about this – no one knows or finds out. Anyone does and I will…do something very terrible. I mean it, buster. Doom and gloom for you."

"Alright," he answered easily.

"And secondly, this is a hands-off kind of deal," she stated with finality. "That means in no way, shape or form do your lips ever touch mine. I mean it, Tristan. God knows where that mouth has been and I'd rather not find out."

Well, his victory might have been a little short-lived. He sighed and even managed to pout. "You don't have to be mean about it, Mary. Come on, where's the fun without a little tongue action from a skilled pro? Live a little, babe."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Those are the conditions. And don't call me babe."

He considered it for a minute and decided that he'd wear her down eventually on the second rule. "Fine. Agreed." When she looked at him dubiously, he chuckled. "Do you need it in writing or do I have to bleed for you?"

"We're still on school property," she stated sweetly. "No need."

It was Tristan's turn to roll his eyes. "Come on, Chuckles, I'll take you home."

"What about the first class?" she asked and then winced when she realized how eager it sounded. She was in a bit of a rush. She didn't think she could avoid Dean until she learned all the secrets of kissing.

The car doors beeped open and Tristan smiled at her over the top. "It's a long way home, Gilmore."

- & -

Rory was speeding down the highway, in the passenger seat of Tristan's car. They had spent the first two minutes of the journey in silence before they started arguing, predictably, about who was in charge of the radio.

"Anyone ever tell you you're a music snob, Gilmore?" Tristan muttered and a singer he hadn't even heard of crooned through the speakers. "I mean, come on!"

Rory settled back in her seat, smiling. "Better than just being a snob, DuGrey."

"Touché. And I'm not a snob."

She guffawed. "Oh God. That's priceless. Tristan everything about you screams snob and a half, okay? You drive expensive cars, wear expensive watches, and hike up the national debt. The rest of us better keep up or get squashed beneath your expensive shoes."

He kept his eyes on the road so she wouldn't see the expression on his face. "You don't know me."

Rory shrugged. "I know enough."

Tristan sighed inwardly. It was hardly right to blame her for following the general consensus of his peers about him. After all, he'd had spent a lifetime creating it for them. "People can surprise you."

"Well I'll be in the corner holding my breath," she returned easily. Then she shook her head and folded her hands in her lap. "But we're not here to talk about you. Or me. We're here to talk about kissing. So come on, Yoda, enlighten me."

"Eager and willing, are you?" he said, trademark smirk in place.

"How do you do that?" she asked, incredulous. "How is everything always about sex with you?"

"I thought you were just naïve but you're kinda slow, too, huh?" he said, with no malice. "I'm a sixteen year old guy, Mary. Yeah, sex pretty much ranks right up there. Even this Dean of yours…I'm guessing he's thinking of it too."

Indignant, Rory retorted, "There was nothing sexual when he kissed me."

That was the absolute worst thing to say, she realized, as a slow, smug smile spread across his face. "Oh then he's definitely not doing it right."

Her face flushed and she fisted her palms. "No I mean, it wasn't like that. It was romantic. You do know what that means, right? Or does it have to bite you in the butt? Dean's kiss…it was…nice."

He noted the wistful expression on her face and resisted the urge to say something nasty. After all, despite all his confidence and boasting, he still could remember his first terrifying kiss. "Nice is good," he conceded finally and then grinned wickedly. "Sinful's better."

Her brows furrowed. "A sinful kiss?"

"I could show you," he offered slyly.

"Nice try."

Tristan waited a beat and then continued, "_O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; /They_ _pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair._"

She looked at him for a minute, disbelieving. "Wait. Are you quoting Shakespeare?"

"Didn't think I knew who he even was?"

"I just thought you're busy doing…whatever it is you do in class," she answered, a little flustered. "I never thought you were listening let alone memorizing lines." He didn't say anything but only shrugged as if what he did was congruent with his behavior, with everything he was. Hesitantly, she spoke, "_Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake_."

"_Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. /Thus_ _from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged_." He was looking at her now; voice lowered huskily, eyes without that usual naughty gleam.

She paused, trying to remember the next lines. "_Then have my lips the sin that they have took._"

"_Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged/Give me my sin again."_

Rory finished and then looked at him funnily. "Tristan DuGrey quotes _Romeo & Juliet_."

He smiled at her and then flicked his gaze back to the road. "I told you. People can surprise you, Mary."

- & -

Undoing her seatbelt, Rory gestured absentmindedly. "You should stop here. I need coffee."

Tristan looked wearily out the window at the quaint, storybook town of Stars Hollow. Could one even call it a town? Christ, a hellhole was more like it. "I don't see a _Starbucks_."

"Well, we've managed to avoid American capitalism for a long time. We're very proud," she informed him with a rueful smile. She opened the door and turned to him, halfway. "_Luke's_ has _Starbucks _beat, any day. Come on."

"You buy your coffee at a hardware store?" he asked, looking at the old building that said _William's Hardware_. "Seriously, how backwards are you people?"

Ignoring his comment, she clarified. "It's a diner."

"Then I'm staying right here," he answered firmly, grasping the steering wheel. "I don't want to come out and see my hubcaps missing."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Right, you're not a snob at all, Tristan. Fine wait here, I'll be back in a bit. Can I get you something or do you not drink coffee that isn't hand-picked from Columbia?"

"Black, two sugars, Funny Girl."

When Rory entered the diner she noticed that people were peeping outside the window, staring at the mysterious BMW and the occupant. She hadn't fully realized the repercussions of townspeople seeing her with Tristan but since she didn't plan on having him back here any time soon, if she could help it, she sincerely hoped that the idle gossip would die down sooner than usual.

"Hey Rory," Luke greeted her as she approached the counter. "You just missed your mom."

"Oh well, I'll catch her at home," Rory replied, relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with Lorelai's pestering. "Can I get two coffees, Luke? Regular, black, two sugars?"

"Two, huh? And am I to assume they're both for you?"

"The other's for a friend," Rory replied guilelessly. "The friend who's sitting in the BMW outside, who everyone is dying to know and who really wants to drop me off home and get out of here."

"Ah," Luke answered as he filled two cups with coffee. "I'm guessing it's a Chilton friend?"

"Yeah."

"Well, we can't keep the rich waiting," Luke stated with a wry smile as he handed over the coffee.

"Thanks. I'll see you later, Luke. Bye!" And with that she turned and walked quickly out of the diner, in hopes of avoiding any townspeople with probing questions.

When she stepped back out on the street, she saw a potentially worse situation than being accosted by nosy neighbors: Dean. No, more accurately, it was Dean heading towards _Luke's _and in two minutes, passing directly in front of Tristan's car. Frantically, Rory dashed to the black BMW, head ducked, hoping like hell that Dean wouldn't spot her. She scrambled into the passenger seat, thrust a coffee towards Tristan and slouched down into the leather interior.

"Go!" she hissed, looking over the dashboard to see Dean mere feet away. "Drive, Tristan! GO!"

"So that's Dean, huh?" Tristan said calmly, not moving. Damn it, he was way too perceptive. Or she was way too obvious. Either way, it wasn't helping. "He's…gangly."

"Shut up Tristan and drive!"

Amused, Tristan turned on the ignition and pulled away from Luke's. "Well, you're running away from him so I guess that kissing is really not his forte, either. Kinda like sucking on a dry lemon, huh?"

Rory made a disgusted face as she sat up straighter. "God, you're so pathetic."

He just laughed, reached over and patted her knee. "No, really, you two look like a cute couple." Without warning, he squeezed her thigh, just slight above her knee and right under the hem of her skirt, ignoring when she yelped. "We should get those leg muscles strong. You're going to be standing on your tip-toes a lot."

She swatted his hand away. "Paws off."

He lifted his offending hand and mock surrendered. "For now."

"Forever."

He was smiling now, as he drove out of the town square. "There's that feistiness I so adore. Seriously though, dump Frankenstein if he's not a good kisser. Let a real man show you how it's done."

Rory lifted a brow, unimpressed. "Creative. Stop stalling and start teaching, DuGrey. I'm supposed to be learning from you and all I've learned so far is that you really are every bit as obnoxious as I thought."

"I try to live up to expectations."

"Except maybe you don't," Rory countered slyly as she pointed for him to turn into the Gilmore's driveway. "Maybe you're all talk, Tristan."

Not to be outdone by a Mary, Tristan smirked and parked behind Lorelai's jeep. "Nice try. But there are a number of girls that will attest to my…prowess if you will."

She undid the seatbelt and turned to face him fully. "And to the fact you're a manwhore, apparently."

He laughed at this and patted her hand. "Okay, truce. Let the lesson begin."

"Enlighten me, Obi Wan."

"Okay, so first kiss? Nice. But you ran away," he added with a shake of his head. "Yeah, guys really don't like that."

"Are you teaching me or stating the obvious?" At his pointed look, she sighed and made a gesture for him to continue. "Proceed."

He turned to her now and smiled. "Now people say that the first kiss is the best but really, it's the second. The second is the follow-through. Follow-throughs are important. For many, many obvious reasons."

"You've given this a lot of thought, have you?" she asked, amused by the conviction with which he made the statement.

"Just a lot of experience," he answered back with another devilish grin. "Manwhore, remember? Anyway, the second kiss tells a person whether or not the person they're kissing is worth the effort."

"Oh good, so it's even more nerve-wracking than the first one. Super."

"Oh little one," Tristan said, patting her head patronizingly. "Only to those who do not have me to teach them." In response, Rory rolled her eyes. "Anyway, this time, don't run."

She blinked. "That's it? Your advice, the lesson is 'don't run'?"

Tristan looked at her witheringly. "Well, what do you want me to say? Kissing is physical, Mary. And I'm a guy. I don't talk about kissing…" He leaned in, grinned and brought his hand to her knee again, "it's more show not tell."

Rory slapped his hand away. "Oh no you don't!" Hastily, she grabbed her backpack and fumed as she opened the door. "God, I shouldn't have been so stupid! I should have known! You can't teach me anything. How could I have expected you to be normal and gentlemanly and…and a good teacher! Idiot!"

"Hey!" he protested.

"No!" she retorted as she got out of the car. She slammed the door shut and then leaned down to talk through the window, wagging her finger. "You are a tricky, mean person and I hope you know you're going for this when you die!"

Tristan bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Where's that?"

"Straight to hell, buddy!" she answered, not noticing his impish expression. "Goodbye, Tristan! Thanks for nothing!"

"Rory!" He climbed halfway out of the car and called after her as she turned and started to stalk away. "Hey Mary!"

Furious, she didn't turn. "What?"

"Lip gloss." This time she did turn, looking half puzzled and half mad. He gave her a crooked grin. "Wear lip gloss, next time. Guys like that. Plus, you're lips are chapped."

Horrified, her hand immediately flew to her dry lips. Before she could say anything, Tristan was back in the car driving away.


End file.
